Do You Love Me?
by athrunzala
Summary: While Squall is out on a mission, Rinoa comes in to possession of some interesting information. However, Squall doesn't seem interested in her anymore. One Shot. Squinoa with implied Selvine and Zelstis.


Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy 8. Nope. Wait…. Maybe…. *checks in closet with other legal stuff* Nope. Never mind. Don't own it.

"So…. When are you coming home?"

"Don't know. Could easily be anywhere from one week to three months."

Rinoa Heartilly was sitting in front of a computer screen, a slightly pouty expression plastered on her lips.

"Hey, it's not my fault that they decided to send me out to the boonies. Zell is a moron."

"He doesn't need your help! Irvine never does anything!"

"I know. I know. But he's busy with field testing new SeeD Applicants right now."

"Still. I want you to be here."

"Rinoa…."

"Tell me, Squall. Do you love me?"

Do you love me?

By athrunzala

"Do I love you? What kind of a question is that?"

"A perfectly logical one. I want to know if you love me or not."

The brunette facepalmed. He was stationed at the Galbadia Missile Complex ruins, simply because the Galbadian government was tired of people snooping around. He would never understand for the life of him why they wouldn't just send SeeDs from Galbadia Garden. They had specifically asked for him, so his vacation was cut short. Apparently, Zell Dincht was insufficient presence there.

Here he was, halfway around the world, and she was asking him about his feelings.

"We've been over this. I love you."

"I don't believe you."

She proceeded to cross her arms, making sure to exaggerate the movement for the camera.

"Come on, Rinoa."

"Nope. I'm ignoring you."

"Whatever."

"Hey! I'm the one doing the ignoring!"

"…"

"You can't just ignore me back!"

"…"

Squall was tired of playing games and thought that a call back to Balamb Garden would be relaxing. It was now three hours since he had started the call. And Rinoa acting childish wasn't going to help.

"You just don't get it, Squall."

"Look. It's not like you're permanently stuck there."

"That's just it! I can't go on missions!"

"They'll send one your way in time. I guarantee it."

"Look, Squall. I CAN'T."

"Rinoa, they'll send you out eventually. Trust me."

A loud rustling forced the male SeeD to look away from the screen.

"Squall… I can't go because…"

"Rinoa, I've gotta go! We have a situation over here and I don't want Zell destroying the place more than it already is. I'll see you when I get back."

As the call ended, tears started to form in the woman's eyes. She looked at the floor and shot to her feet.

"SQUALL LEONHART! YOU ARE AN IDIOT!" She screamed while slamming her hand down on the console.

"Having problems?"

Rinoa looked up suddenly to see Quistis Trepe, Squall's former instructor and fellow SeeD member looking at her.

"I just…. Just…."

Quistis could tell that the study hall was not the best place for her right now. She got up from her desk and went over to where Rinoa was standing.

"Come on. Let's head into town. It's on me."

As they left, Quistis shot a quick glance at the console. There was a slight crack where Rinoa's fist had contacted the plastic worktop, but other than that, there was no damage. She would be able to repair that herself later. If not, she knew that Irvine would be more than willing to do it.

Back at the now abandoned missile complex, Squall was lecturing Zell.

"Do you have any idea of what you could have done?"

"Well… I…."

"You could have vaporized the whole place! 'Don't touch' means just that. If you value your head and your life, you'll remember that in the future!"

"Look, it's not like I enjoy being here. There's nothing to do!"

"…"

"Oh hell no. Not again, Squall."

"What?" the brunette said, shooting a slight glare in the direction of his companion.

"Did you and Rinoa have ANOTHER fight?"

"No. And even if we did, it would be appreciated if you'd back off about it."

Zell walked over and put a hand on Squall's shoulder.

"Look, bro. I know you like to play the loner and all, but she needs you. And you need her."

Squall's face softened. Somehow, he knew that Zell may be the one to understand.

"Look. I like to work alone, yes. But since she came along, it's all been different."

The blonde looked at him and laughed. "Yeah. You used to be a brick wall."

"Very funny."

"What? It's the truth!"

Squall smiled slightly.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. It's just…. Just that I…"

Zell was riveted to the spot, hoping for the end of the thought.

"Oh who am I kidding. You wouldn't understand."

At this, the blonde brawler fell over.

"Try me. I can understand more than you realize."

"Let's get the fire going here first. No power, remember. And it gets cold here at night."

"Agreed. Then you're gonna tell me all about it."

"Fair enough," the brunette chuckled. Sometimes, Zell could be the best friend you could ever ask for. Others, well… let's just say that he's Zell.

Back at Balamb, the two women were returning from the small port town.

"Did he really?"

Quistis smiled and chuckled at little as she remembered the first time she was teaching Squall.

"Yup. He sat there, completely stone faced and said that he needed to have his gunblade in the room as Seifer was going to try something. Low and behold, he did."

They were both reminiscing about how the past events had shaped their current lives.

"Have I ever told you about the first time I met him?"

Quistis looked over at her friend.

"No. come to think of it, you never have!"

"It was at the SeeD graduation ball. He looked so good in that uniform. Pity he never wears it anymore."

"We only wear them for formal occasions. He was wearing it when he left."

"I know. In any case, I walked over to him and started talking to him. All he seemed interested in was his drink. So I asked him if he wanted to dance. All I got was a simple silence. So I thought I'd try something. I leaned in close and waved my hand in a circle, all while saying 'You're going to like me. You're going to like me'. Probably my dumbest move ever. Then he said that he couldn't dance."

"He's such a horrible liar. He uses a gunblade. Being a type of sword, footwork is important. He can so dance."

"I know!"

"So we are in agreement that he just needs to lighten up a little?"

Rinoa looked at the ground.

"Yeah."

She then looked up into the sky.

"I just wish he was here right now."

Quistis looked over at the brunette woman.

"Tell you what. I'll grab Selphie and we'll have a girl's night. Just the three of us."

"Seriously?" Rinoa was not used to seeing the blonde woman like this.

"I mean it. The three of us can use some time to ourselves."

"And I think that Selphie can use a distraction from Irvine for a little while," Rinoa giggled.

Quistis looked at Rinoa and smirked.

"Tag team?"

"You know it."

The two women then entered the garden to find their friend.

"Selphie… C'mon!"

"I said no, Irvine."

"Alright. Look, I just wanted to show you the view from the sky, It's gorgeous at night!"

"And you know I hate being up too high!"

"Oh. Yeah…" The sniper hung his head. Ever since beginning his relationship with the strawberry-blonde woman, he had calmed down and stopped his womanizing activities. However, he was considering taking another female SeeD up with him if at all possible. When Zell was gone, he didn't have a training partner, so he was bored.

"Selphie….."

"Oh Selphie! Where are you?"

The noises were a welcome distraction to the nunchaku-using SeeD.

"Over here!"

As Rinoa and Quistis drew closer, Selphie was almost too eager to head out.

"Hey! Wassup?"

"We want you to come with us," Rinoa said.

"I'm in for whatever you have planned. Irvine's been almost insufferable lately!"

"Oh yeah! That reminds me!" Quistis said in a slightly shocked tone.

"Irvine, can you head up to floor 2 and replace the work top on station 26?"

"Sure thing!"

With that, the sniper bounded off to get the replacement part, almost overly eager to do the job. Once he was out of earshot, Selphie turned to the other two women.

"Girls' Night, amiritte?"

"Yup!"

"Quistis, I think it's your turn this time."

Squall's eyes shot open. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he had apparently done just that. He looked over to where they had made the fire to find Zell pacing. He got up and walked over to the other SeeD.

"Everything alright?"

The blonde just about jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice.

"Damn, Squall! You scared the hell outta me!"

"My bad. What's the situation?"

"Well… The black is black. And there are blacker shadows moving just outside the fence."

"Wow. That was…. Helpful."

"Look, I only tell you what I can. It's dark out."

"Yeah. Here."

Squall handed his companion a flashlight.

"I'll go left, you take the right."

"Sure thing, buddy!"

How they wound up paired off all the time was a mystery to Squall.

"Alright. So tell us the truth."

Quistis was now three shades of red. So both the others knew that they were getting to her. The blonde wasn't going to last much longer. With a sharp inhale, she finally blurted out the last thing that the other two would have thought to hear.

"I'm in love with Zell Dincht!"

The silence that followed was slightly unnerving. It was broken when Rinoa began giggling.

"What?"

"Quistis, we kinda figured that out."

"How?"

Selphie then chirped in. "You always get depressed when he's out on a mission…."

"And get happy when he comes back," Rinoa finished.

"Do I?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Alright, Rinoa. It's your turn. What is so important that you think Squall doesn't love you anymore?"

"Well…. Here's the thing. I can't go on missions anymore."

"Because you're not being assigned?"

"No, Sel."

"Because the guys get them all?"

"Wrong again."

"Then what is it?"

"I'll tell you, but you are not allowed to tell anybody else, deal?"

"Dealio!"

"Of course."

Outside the room, there was only silence for a while, then the sounds of elated and happy women. It echoed through the empty hallway to the main concourse where Irvine Kinneas was just leaving the elevator.

"Seems like they're having a good time. I think I'll join the guard in the observatory. I could go for some sky watching right now."

At the missile facility, Squall and Zell were back from their "patrol". There had been nothing bust some lizards and birds casting shadows.

"So. You gonna tell me now?"

"That's right. I never did tell you about the whole thing."

Squall sat down next to the new fire and began telling Zell the whole story. Roughly two and a half hours later, he was done.

"Damn. Look, bro. You don't need to be here."

"Oh yeah? Just like you didn't almost blow us both up?"

"Ouch, dude. That's hitting low. But it's true. Why don'cha call her tomorrow. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you."

"…"

"…"

"Oh no. Don't go there again."

The next day, Squall was shocked when a representative of the Galbadian Military arrived with a detachment of troops.

"I want to thank you for guarding this site until we arrived. We understand that it has been a trying couple of weeks," he turned to Squall, "Especially for you."

Squall's face was hit with a slightly quizzical look, but he then returned to his usual stony visage.

"As of this moment, you two are relieved. You can return to Balamb Garden with our thanks. Your payment is already there."

"Thank you, sir."

Squall's usual politeness was cut short when a familiar brown trench coat jumped out from behind the bushes and rushed at the general.

"Oh no you don't!"

Within mere moments Squall's gunblade was locked with his opponent's.

"Seifer! Why are you doing this?"

"Quite simple. I was hired as an assassin! You, Squall, should be aware that we SeeDs are required to do all sorts of missions!"

AS the two fought, Zell began ushering the general and other ranking officers behind the protective Concrete wall.

"So, chickenwuss. You still with the whiny baby?"

"Like that's any of your business!"

Several more hits were exchanged. While both had improved since the fateful day that they had both received their scars, Squall was a little more controlled.

"You should know that you aren't a Seed, Seifer! You never passed the exam!"

"Bah. To hell with that piece of shit exam."

As their blades locked, Squall issued an ultimatum.

"You have two options. You can leave here or I can kill you."

"Yeah right. That woman's made you into more of a pussy than you were before! Oh what was her name…. oh yeah… Rinoa! I think I'll go and visit her right now. Maybe take her with me this time."

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!"

Squall then summoned Ifrit and had the GF throw Seifer into the water off the coast. As the garden's drop-out crawled onto the beach, he shouted at Squall.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT! I'LL TAKE YOU AND ALL YOUR CHICKENWUSS FRIENDS DOWN ONE OF THESE DAYS!"

Then his head hit the gravely shore and he passed out.

Once Squall was sure that his opponent was unconscious, he looked over at Zell and motioned for the blonde to follow him.

As they got into their vehicle, they could hear the general.

"We'll be sending extra for that! Thank you!"

They then headed off for the town of Dollet and their boat back to Balamb.

"So? How you gonna tell him?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it since the last time I tried."

"Ohhhhhh….. Rinoa! You can be so…. Soo….."

"Stubborn."

"Right. Thanks, Irvine."

"Don't mention it."

As he had been the only one of the guys there, the girls had decided that Irvine would need to know.

"Still, Rinoa. I just can't see how you convinced him to do that!"

"You'd be amazed. I am a woman, after all."

"So true. If I could make a suggestion, try over dinner. Here."

Irvine reached into his pocket and tossed some gil Rinoa's way.

"Don't worry. You can count it here. I'm not one of those who finds it rude. Been shorted myself in the past."

"Irvine… this is…."

"Don't mention it. Just you two go out to that fancy little place in town. I'll make sure he gets there, kay?"

Rinoa smiled and nodded then ran over and gave the gunslinger a hug.

"Thank you."

"No problem. After all, what are friends for, right? Besides, isn't it better that you tell him now as opposed to him finding out on his own later?"

"There's enough there to get yourself a new dress as well! I've got his spare grad uniform right here. I'll make sure he's wearing it."

"Actually, Irvine, while I appreciate the dress offer, I think I'll go with Selphie's idea."

"You mean that you wanna wear….. But why?"

"Because it would look nice."

"Alright. One SeeD uniform coming up."

Later that night, Irvine pulled up in front of the restaurant with a very clean and pressed Squall Leonhart in the passenger seat.

"This is the place. Café la Mer. You just head inside."

"…"

"Oh no you don't. Inside. Now."

"Alright. Fine. I'm going."

Squall got out of the car and closed the door.

"You had better not be pranking me."

"Hell no! No pranks here."

"Alright. See you back at the Garden then."

Irvine nodded and drove off. It was then that Squall noticed both Zell and Quistis walking towards him.

"What? Is this some kind of reunion?"

"Hell no, man. Quistis wanted to try this place out."

"Alright. I'm headed in."

As soon as he entered, Squall was ushered out to the back patio by the waiter where he saw her.

"Rinoa. You look…. You look…." A slight blush had started to creep across his face.

"Squall, you don't need to say anything right now. After all, I have a surprise for you."

"But I treated you like you weren't important."

"Doesn't matter. It's in the past now. Come over here."

The brunette looked at her, and she did her usual point. He smiled and walked over to her. As he went to pull her into a hug, she grabbed his right hand and pulled it to her abdomen.

At first he was puzzled by this action. He looked into her eyes, as if seeking an answer, then, slowly, the realization dawned on him. As it did, he features softened even more as a grin slowly crept onto his face, which then turned into a smile. This was the biggest smile that she had seen on his face ever.

"Are you certain?"

"Doctor Kadowaki confirmed it."

"How long have you known?"

"Since shortly after you left. I wasn't 100% certain, so I didn't want to say anything. But then I had other symptoms and Selphie insisted that I go to the infirmary."

"So when did it happen?"

"Based on what the doctor said, it happened two days before you left."

Squall looked up into the sky. He remembered that night. That night, they had snuck away from the others and headed to an abandoned vehicle. There they proceeded to make love into the early hours of the morning. He snapped back to reality when he heard Rinoa sobbing.

"What's wrong?"

"I… I wanted to tell you sooner…. But…."

"It's alright. We both knew this could happen, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll be there. I swore that to you, didn't I?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then I'll be there. I promise."

Later that evening, as the couple lay in the room that they shared, Rinoa snuggled up to Squall, who put his arm around her.

"Squall?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you love me?"

"Of course. With all my being. I'll never leave you, no matter what happens."

Hearing those words pass his lips, the Galbadian native drifted off to sleep, knowing that she was safe with the man she loved.

FIN

A.n/ - Alright. I know. It's sappy. But I needed to get this one out of my system. Now, to answer some of the questions I have gotten over this.

Q: Wait…. You don't write for Final Fantasy 8… do you?

A: Every now and again, I write for a different franchise. I have a digimon and a Gundam Fic that are exclusive to deviantArt. This is one of the few that will be cross site.

Q: Why did you make Squall such a jerk?

A: If you have played FF8, he starts the game very cold and unfeeling. This attitude of his changes as you progress through the story. I liked that mechanic and chose to use it here.

Q: Rinoa never became a Seed!

A: Plot device. I'm assuming that as some point after the game, Rinoa took the exam and passed.

Q: Chapter 2?

A: As the main piece says: This is a ONE SHOT. No chapter 2. And I don't think I'll be having the urge to write a story about that night at the end either.

Alright. So those were the only questions I heard from people while I wrote this. Now, for the other things I wanted to say.

Rinoa: Oh, come on. We all KNOW why you wrote this.

AZ: Oh yeah?

Rinoa: Wasn't it because *is muffled*

AZ: Thanks, Squall.

Squall: … … … No problem.

AZ: It was inspired by that conversation, but not a direct transcription. Just to clarify a couple things: NO, we are not expecting. No, we are not planning on expecting in the near future. However, this does have a basis in real life. I was asked by the absolutely wonderful woman I'm spending my days (and nights) with how much I loved her. That line that Squall says at the end was my answer to her. The funny thing is that we are cosplaying as Rinoa and Squall later this year.

Until the next time I write something! Ja ne!


End file.
